Binding tool



Aug? 1941- c. E. BROOKS 2,254,165

BINDING TOOL Filed Jan. 8, 1941 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 BINDING TOOLClarence Earl Brooks, Norristown, Pa., assignor to The PhiladelphiaBindery, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication January 8, 1941, Serial No. 373,581

8 Claims.

This invention relates to binding tools and more particularly to a toolfor applying elastic binder clips to packs of punched sheets in thebinding of books, pamphlets and the like.

In the binding or assembly in book form of sheets punched at one edgefor mechanical binding and particularly binding by short length elasticbinder clips no satisfactory instrumentality or machine has heretoforebeen available and it has been necessary to apply the clips by hand.This manual application of the binder clips is time consuming and costlyand unduly increases the time required for and the cost of bindingsheets in book form with such clips.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a bindingtool by means of which elastic binder clips may be quickly and easilyapplied to stacks of edge-punched sheets for binding of the sheets inbook form.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bindingtool of the character aforesaid which will be simple yet rugged inconstruc: tion, easy to operate and which will be adaptable for use withdiiferent sizes of binder clips.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the annexedspecification and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a preferred embodiment of a bindertool in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the binder tool shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the binder tool shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the binder tool illustrated in Fig. land showing the mode of operation thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a top or plan View of a book bound with binder clips of thetype for which the binder tool of the present invention is particularlyadapted.

It will, of course, be understood that the description and drawingherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges may be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing one type of binder clipemployed for fastening sheets together in book form consists of alongitudinal back strip or band It intended to be longitu dinallydisposed along the edge of the book, and a plurality of spaced fingersll laterally disposed with respect to the back strip [0. The binder clipin its normal position has both the back strip 10 and the fingers llcurled into tubular form, the fingers ll being adapted to extend throughsuitable punchings or perforations l2 in the sheets l3 to provide, withthe back strip l0, hinges for the sheets l3 and thus form the book. Asingle broad finger portion may, if desired, be used in place of theplurality of fingers. The binder clip is made of any preferred resilientmaterial, such as spring metal, or synthetic plastic, of cellulosic ornon-cellulosic constituents, and including Celluloid, pyroxylin and thelike.

The binder tool comprises a pair of lever arms l4 and I5 and pivotallyconnected intermediate their ends by means of a pivot pin 36, the leverarms I 4 and I 5 being provided with gripping portions it and I! at oneend thereof for engagement with the fingers and the thumb or heel of thehand of the user. One of the lever arms, and preferably the lever armI5, has a supporting or backer plate 18 mounted thereon. The supportingor backer plate I 8 includes a bracket portion l|9 disposed along thelever arms l4 and I5 and secured in any desired manner, such as byrivets 20, and a curved face portion 2| the center of curvature beinglocated in the axis of the pivot pin 36.

The prong or end portion 22 of the lever arm I4 is disposed at rightangles to the lever arm 14 and is spaced a sufficient distance from theface 2| of the supporting plate l8 to accommodate the binder clips andpermit of the easy insertion of a clip thereon. The outer face 23 of theend portion 22 is preferably curved to aid in spreading binder clips, ashereinafter pointed out.

The prong or end portion 24 of the lever arm [5 is also disposed atright angles to the lever arm I 5, in alinement with the end portion,and is similarly spaced from the face 2| of the supporting plate I8. Theouter face 25 of the end portion 24 is preferably curved to aid inspreading binder clips by engagement therewith, as hereinafter pointedout.

A spring 26 is provided for spreading the gripping portions l6 and I!and for bringing the end portions 22 and 24 into engagement when thegripping portions [6 and 11 are released.

The manner of use of the binding tool will now be pointed out.

With the prongs or end portions 22 and 24 of the lever arms 14 and l 5in engagement as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a binder clip is slipped ontothe end portions 22 and 2 3. If the resilient binder clip is of thecharacter referred to above, that is with a back strip i0 and fingers llextending therefrom the back strip 10 is preferably located adjacent theend portion 26 and away from the face 2| of the supporting plate I3. Thegripping portions I6 and I! of the lever arms M and [5 are then manuallymoved toward each other and the prongs or end portions 22 and 24 areseparated the desired distance. In the separation of the end portions 22and 24 the outer curved faces 23 and 225 permit of the sliding thereoverof the interior of the binding clips during the spreading or opening ofthe binder clips. In the separation the end portions 22 and 24 remain ina parallel relationship and equidistant from the face 2| of thesupporting plate I8. The separation of the end portions 22 and 24 opensup the binder clip as shown in Fig. 4, the finger portions H being iunrolled along and supported by the curved face 21 of the supportingplate 18. When the binder clip is in the position shown in Fig. 4, theopened clip may then be readily positioned at one set of perforations orpunchings i2 of the sheets 3. The pressure applied to the grippingportions It and I1 is then relaxed and the elasticity of the binder clipwill cause the clip to curl up into its holding or binding condition inengagement through the perforations 2 of the sheets i 3. The

end portions 22 and 2 1 may then be easily removed by moving the samelongitudinally with respect to the binder clip and the tool is thenready for applying another binder clip.

The binding tool is not limited in its use to the comprising levermembers, means for pivotally connecting said members intermediate theirends, laterally disposed binder engaging end portions on said levermembers, and a curved supporting plate member adjacent said endportions, said plate member being curved about the axis at the pivotalconnecting means for said lever members.

2. Apparatus for assembling a plurality of punched sheets with aresilient tubular binder comprising manually operable lever membersmeans for pivotally connecting said members intermediate their ends,parallel laterally disposed binder engaging end portions on said levermembers, and a binder supporting plate member mounted on one of saidlever members, said plate member being curved about the axis at thepivotal connecting means for said lever members.

3. A binding tool comprising a plurality of lever members, means forpivotally connecting said lever members intermediate their ends,laterally disposed separable'end'portions on said lever members,resilient means in engagement with said lever members for normallyholding said end portions in engagement, and a supporting member carriedby one of said lever memhers and having a face portion adjacent said endportions and substantially equidistant from said end portions in therespective positioning thereof.

4. A binding tool comprising a plurality of manually operable levermembers, means for pivotally connecting said lever members intermediatetheir ends, parallel laterally disposed separable end portions on saidlever members, resilient means in engagement with said lever n membersfor normally holding said end portions in engagement, and a supportingplate member carried by one of said lever members and having a curvedface portion adjacent said end portions and substantially equidistantfrom said end portions in the respective positioning thereof.

5. A binding tool comprising lever members having manually engageableportions at one end thereof, means for pivotally connecting said levermembers intermediate their ends, the other end portions of said levermembers being laterally disposed with respect to said lever members,resilient means in engagement with said lever members for normallyholding said laterally disposed end portions in engagement, and asupporting member carried by one of said lever members and having afaceportion adjacent said laterally disposed end portions, said laterallydisposed end portions being substantially equidistant from the faceportion in the respective positioning thereof.

6. A binding tool comprising a plurality of manually operable levermembers, means for pivotally connecting said lever members intermediatetheir ends, parallel laterally disposed separable end portions on saidlever members, resilient meal 3 in engagement with said lever membersfor normally holding said end portions in engagement and resistant toseparation, and a supporting plate member carried by one of said levermembers and having a curved face portion adjacent said separable endportions and spaced therefrom, said laterally disposed end portionsbeing substantially equidistant from said face portion in the respectivepositioning of said end portions.

7. Apparatus for assembling a plurality of punched sheets with aresilient tubular binder comprising a binder backer, a prong fixedlymounted with respect to said backer and spaced from said backer for thereception of the binder, another prong parallel to said first prong andmovably mounted with respect thereto for opening said tubular binderupon the separation of said prongs, said movable prong being movablecolinear with the surface of the backer in spaced relation thereto, andmeans forseparating said prongs in parallel relationship.

8. Apparatus for assembling a plurality of punched sheets with aresilient tubular binder comprising a binder backer plate, a prongfixedly mounted with respect to said plate and spaced from said platefor the reception of the binder, another prong parallel to said firstprong and movably mounted with respect thereto for opening said tubularbinder upon the separation of said prongs, said movable prong beingmovable colinear with the surface or" the plate in spaced relationthereto, and means for separating said prongs in parallel relationship.

CLARENCE EARL BROOKS.

